


Cat's Outta The Bag

by Starkvenger



Series: Billy Batson Needs More Love [1]
Category: Captain Marvel (DC), Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Shazam (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Billy Batson-centric, Billy-centric, Bruce Wayne is a Good Dad, Childhood, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Identity Reveal, Minor Violence, Protective Barry Allen, Protectiveness, Young Justice - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 23:48:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9044435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starkvenger/pseuds/Starkvenger
Summary: Billy Batson has successfully kept his secret identity a secret for nearly six months, even after he joined the Justice League and came under the watchful eye of Batman.However, after a particularly nasty attack hits Captain Marvel hard and he goes down, the League is about to find out just why the Captain acts so childish at times.~ONE-SHOT~





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a two-parter from my collection of one-shots, but I feel like a lot of people don't like to read collections, so here is this two-parter, all on it's own!
> 
> I've said it before and I'll say it again- there's not enough love shown on this site to my baby Billy Batson, so I intend to fix that.
> 
> Enjoy, and Happy Holidays! :D

**~ ~ ~**

* Enjoy! *

 

Clouds blocked the sun out and cast down a gloomy light from the sky as Captain Marvel, the "World's Mightiest Mortal" hovered in the air. The day was made even dimmer by the surroundings of the superhero and the team to which he belonged to. The land looked war-torn, trees snapped and boulders overturned. The Justice League had been called into action on the account of a distress call somewhere in Europe, and, having arrived at the location, were promptly thrown into the midst of battle against a muscular man in an outfit that seemed to mirror the Captain's, though in black. 

The Captain narrowed his eyes as he narrowly dodged an attack from Black Adam, looking around for something he could use as cover. The caped hero glanced at the ground where league members lay strewn about, in various positions of pain or unconsciousness. 

Even Superman, with all his might, was no match for the magical power that he and his pointy-eared opposite possessed. Marvel dodged another attack, diving through the air to avoid a burst of crackling lighting that came towards him. "Adam! Why are you doing this?!" he yelled, trying to reason with the angered man. He wasn't known for being rational, but the hero couldn't help but try.

Captain Marvel narrowed his eyes as Adam simply seemed to laugh, giving him a look as if his motives should have been obvious. He decided that since reasoning wouldn't work, the caped crusader would have to resort to another means of taking the man down. He began to circle his arms quickly, the speed of Mercury taking over as funnels of wind formed from them. The tornados that formed around Marvel's arms pulled in everything that surrounded them- boulders, soil, branches- they even had begun to pick up some of the leaguers, but failed to move Adam an inch. 

The raven-haired hero abruptly stopped the gusts, glancing back at some of the more injured members as he scanned the area in an attempt to formulate a plan. He furrowed his brow as he witnessed Green Lantern and Batman attempting to sneak up on the villain. Marvel's eyes widened at the sight, glancing at Adam to see a smirk growing on his face. "GUYS WAIT!!" He said, launching himself towards them in a flash of light. 

Captain Marvel barreled into the pair just as Adam turned and shot a blast of magical energy at them. They successfully dodged the attack, the swirling black energy crashing into the forest line and turning it to ash. The trio were still sailing through the air as the attack met a target, and they were sent crashing into the ground from the impact.

The Captain did his best to take most of the blow, but didn't manage to take it all. The edges of Batman's cape were singed, and his costume was torn and bloodied in several spots. Lantern looked generally unscathed, except for the part where his very being seemed to flicker.

The hero looked back to where Adam watched smugly from the sky, seeming to radiate satisfaction. "The Wizard was a fool to choose a child to replace me." he boomed, his voice echoing through the forest. The members of the League who still had some form of consciousness gave the villain confused looks, looking to Marvel for clarification. He ignored the startled glances in favor of flying up to meet the ancient man face to face. 

"Maybe so. But I can and will still take you down, Adam." Marvel said, much quieter. He crossed his arms as the villain laughed, a crooked smile on his face. He had a wicked gleam in his eyes, something that put the Captain on edge. "Give it up. You may have them down, but you and I are equals. There's no need for us to--" The hero was cut off by a punch to the jaw, sending into rocketing through the air in a backward somersault. Marvel was sent crashing towards the Earth, plowing through dirt and rocks until he finally came to rest against the trunk of a tree.

The man sat up and rubbed his jaw, looking to the air where static seemed to crackle around Black Adam. "Alright. You won't listen to reason then." he muttered, letting out a breath as he got up and blasted towards the villain. 

"Maybe you'll listen to THIS!" He growled, summoning a blast of golden energy. Lightning crackled and swirled around the growing sphere, Marvel's eyes becoming pure light as his anger grew. Adam seemed to hesitate but then smiled at the action. It was then the hero sent the magical energy towards the man, thunder rumbling in the distance as it flew towards him with the speed of Mercury. 

The twisted man's smile only seemed to grow as he dodged the attack, the magical sphere clipping him as he swooped out of the way. Captain Marvel's eyes widened at the sphere was sent straight towards some fallen Leaguers, dread filling him at the thought of what that might to them. 

He swallowed thickly as he put on more speed than he ever had before, time seeming to slow as he inched closer to the magical blast. He finally made it to the energy, thrusting out his hand in an attempt to recall it. The Universe seemed hesitant to obey his command, the sphere continuing on its path before shrinking and being absorbed by the hero. 

Marvel breathed heavily, slowing to a pause as the Stamina of Atlas began to take its toll on him. He smiled tiredly at the fact that the heroes below him, namely Wonder Woman, Green Arrow and Hawkgirl were relatively unharmed. He thanked the gods for his luck, looking back to find Adam with his arms crossed over his chest. 

He hovered in the air above him, the picture of smugness, giving him a wicked smile. "We are not equals. You are inexperienced. A child. You cannot _begin_ to comprehend the power we possess, and you treat it as a toy. I am your superior in every way." The villain's voice seemed to echo through Captain Marvel's mind, reaching that of his other half- Billy Batson. He clenched his fists in anger, jaw set at he stared up at the ancient man.

He flew up to meet him in the sky, taking a glance back down at the ground to find that most, if not all of the Leaguers had begun to regain their consciousness. Thankfully they were smart enough not to interfere, taking one worry off the Captain's list. The pair floated there in silence, staring at each other in a moment of tense peace. Neither dared to move until Marvel raised his head. He looked to the clouds that hung over them- dark and swirling...and definitely not natural. They almost seemed to vibrate with magic, making the lightning under his skin crackle in response.

"We may not be equals like I said..." he started, catching a furrowed brow from the villain. "But there is one thing we have in common." 

In a flash, (Barry would kill him for that one) he was at Adam's side, his arms wrapped tightly around the man and pinning his arms at his sides. The other man's eyes widened, fear overtaking his features. "Our weakness." he whispered, before looking to the darkened sky.

**"SHAZAM!!"**

Captain Marvel threw back his head and watched as the king of all lightning bolts hurled down from the sky, magic pulsing throughout the bolt. It struck both of them at once, stripping them of their form and reverting them back to their mortal states. Adam seemed to shriek in anger and agony, his muscular form being stripped away to that of an elderly man, then simply to ash. 

The villain's screams echoed through Captain Marvel's mind as the lightning struck him as well, the overwhelming magical power being released from Black Adam's demise becoming too much for him. He shut his eyes out of pain, taking a sharp breath as he was transformed back into Billy Batson.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Batman had managed to pick himself and Hal up off the ground, pain screaming throughout his body. He winced as blood streamed down his leg, staining his dark costume. He began to look around and found that most- no, _all_ of the League, (save for those that weren't there) had been grounded at some point. The detective looked up to find Captain Marvel as the lone hero to fight his opposite. 

He began to help some of the other heroes up, glancing back at one of their strongest as he dueled it out with Black Adam. Once Green Lantern was up, albeit his concentration wavering, they set off to help more of their teammates. When Black Adam started ranting about a child, Hal, along with Black Canary, (whom he had been helping to her feet) glanced up with confused looks. 

Batman's eyes widened behind the cowl, swallowing thickly. It was times like this that he may have regretted knowing the good Captain's secret identity. He gave them a shrug to feign dumb and continued helping Aquaman to his feet. 

He looked up again to find the hero and villain face to face, Captain Marvel seemingly trying to reason with the man. 'Kid still thinks you can talk to them...' he thought to himself, shaking his head as he guided Aquaman towards the rest of the conscious heroes. That was when he heard an echoing thud, like a hammer striking concrete. Batman's head whipped up to find Black Adam's fist connecting with the Captain's jaw, sending him crashing towards the ground. 

The masked billionaire winced at the action, sucking in a breath as the world's mightiest mortal plowed through the earth. 

He was up in moments, however, and only seemed to be a bit dirty, and overall annoyed. He heard the man growl out something about Adam listening, and the air seemed to grow denser. It felt electrifying- static crackling in the air around them.

Batman wasn't the only one who felt it, however, and looked over to find his fellow heroes with varying looks of confusion and tenseness. He finished helping Cyborg up when light seemed to fill the sky. Lightning cracked in the clouds as thunder rumbled around them. The earth began to tremble and the heroes looked up to find a massive, glowing orb of electrifying energy expanding between Captain Marvel's hands. 

The Captain growled, Batman noticing from where he stood that the man's eyes were glowing. He took a step back, swallowing thickly as power seemed to radiate from the man. It was intimidating, and they were several hundred feet below the white-caped hero. It was times like this that Bruce felt he was out of his league- that he knew he was dealing with _gods_. 

The dark knight was pulled from his thoughts when Captain Marvel let out a growl and launched the magical attack at Black Adam. It all happened within the span of two seconds- one moment, the orb was being launched at Adam and the man was laughing, the next it was barreling towards three heroes that were still out, and the next the Captain was guarding them against the projectile and somehow absorbing it. 

The man looked down at the trio, who were staring up at him with thankful looks in their eyes, before nodding and rocketing back towards the villain. Adam at this point was boasting, as all villains loved to do for some reason, and the Captain allowed him to talk. Their voices seemed to echo throughout the clearing, booming like the thunder they controlled. 

Captain Marvel glanced down at the League, who by this point were in a crowd, watching the pair in the sky. None of the interfered, apparently having the wits to know when they should stay where they are and let a hero handle something on his own. The red-armored man then looked to Bruce, locking eyes with him for a moment before giving him a knowing smile. 

Batman's eyes widened, taking a few steps out in front of the group. He watched as Marvel looked back at Adam and spoke to him in a quiet voice. He was then at his side at an instant, holding on to the villain tightly and keeping him pinned. He looked to the sky and saw it darken, the clouds seeming to swirl around the pair as they were locked together in the air. 

This kid couldn't seriously be resorting to this to take Adam down, could he? He would reveal his identity to the league- and if they knew they had put a child in harm's way, Bruce knew that Captain Marvel's days as a League member would be over.

The caped crusader was brought out of his thoughts by what sounded like a clap of thunder but was really the Captain's voice.

 **"SHAZAM!!"**  

Bruce's eyes widened when a massive bolt of lightning descended from the clouds, striking the pair with such a force that he was shoved backward. He heard screaming- at first a man's, but then it morphed and became a child's. The dark knight had to cover his eyes with his arm to shield himself from the light, but took the first chance to look up at what had happened.

Adam was gone, nowhere to be found- and there was something small falling from the sky. Batman's eyes widened when he realized that it was Billy, jumping into action. He shot his grappling hook at a towering evergreen, clicking the trigger and launching himself through the air towards the child. Fear raced through the man's mind as he came closer to the boy, arm outstretched to grab him. 

Bruce rocketed past where the boy was falling, grasping onto the boy's oversized red and yellow sweater. He pulled the kid up into his arms, holding his small frame close to his chest as they approached the massive tree. 

He landed safely on a big branch, sitting down to allow Billy to regain some sort of composure before having to face the league. "Billy. Billy wake up," he said, shaking him. Bruce pulled back his cowl, staring at the sleeping boy's face. It was strange how alike they looked- both had jet black curly hair and unmistakable cornflower blue eyes. Billy was thin with defined cheekbones, where Bruce had a strong jaw. 

 He shook the boy a bit more, trying to get him to wake. "Batson, you have to wake up kid." he said, scooting back when the boy's bright blue eyes fluttered open. Bruce let out a sigh of relief, a small smile on his face. "Thank god." he muttered, watching the child come to. 

"Wha....what happened..." Billy asked, blinking hard before sitting up. He held his head and shook it, looking up at him. "Bru- Batman?" he asked, tilting his head. Bruce nodded, glancing back at where the Leaguers were still gathered. They seemed to be coming to a decision, most likely about whether they should come to the tree or not. "Did-" Billy spoke up, looking around. 

"Did I win?" 

Bruce was taken back- this kid had risked giving up his identity, the thing that could possibly get him thrown out of the League, and he was asking if he got the bad guy? It almost made him want to shake his head in exasperation. "Yes, Billy. Adam's....gone." The older man wasn't actually sure whether or not this was true, but from the looks of it, he'd say that there was little to no chance of the Captain's other half returning anytime soon.

"You- you better change. The league is coming and we will have to get down from here and face them." Bruce said, watching as they group slowly made their way towards them. 

Billy turned to look at the group as well, his chest heaving as he took in a deep breath and released it. "No." he said, in almost a whisper.

Bruce furrowed his brow, turning his head to look at the young boy completely. He paused, seeing determination filling his features. He had known the boy had a will of iron and a heart of gold, but he had no clue he could be capable of something like this. 

"I've kept who I am hidden long enough. You all know who each other are...I think it's time I return that courtesy." he said, giving the bat a toothy, child-like smile. "Dontcha think?" he asked, looking up at him.

Bruce sighed, pulling up his cowl back up. "I don't think I'll ever understand you, Batson." he said with a hint of a grin. Billy smiled at this, a full-on toothy smile. He then stood and let out another breath, looking down at the group that was waiting at the trunk of the towering tree. 

"Let's go then, shall we?" he asked, raising his arms. 

Batman inwardly laughed at the childish display, picking up the boy per his wordless request. He grabbed the grappling hook and released it, sliding down until they reached the ground. He kept a tight grip on Billy as they descended, setting him down once they were safely touching the earth once more.

He stood back as Billy stepped out from in front of him, seeming to collect his courage in a moment's notice. 

"Hi. My name is Billy Batson, and I'm 10 years old." Billy seemed to falter, but Bruce put his hand on the boy's shoulder, a silent reminder that he was, and would remain, by his side.

"But you all probably know me as Captain Marvel."

 

~ ~ ~

 

Billy couldn't help the rush of adrenaline that pumped through his veins as he spoke to the League- getting an overall mixed reaction from his teammates. While Hal and Clark had wide-eyed, unbelieving looks, Barry seemed as if he'd burst from holding his laughter in any further. Diana, Ollie, and Dina all shared various degrees of confusion, and Bats- well let's just say he was amused. 

It was Barry who actually broke the silence, bursting out into full-on laughter. He doubled over, holding his stomach as he laughed. Billy tilted his head, furrowing his brow in confusion. "Oh man- That- That is hilarious. How much did you pay him to say that, Bats? A hundo? two? Oh, oh- three?" he asked, giggles and snorts sneaking between his words. "I mean, that's rich. Really it is." 

The scarlet speedster looked up to find the dark knight without a smile on his face, (which wasn't unusual, but something on his face just read 'i'm serious'.) and the laughter ceased. "Wait, you're serious?" he asked, looking back to the child.

Billy crossed his arms, nodding slowly. "Yea...?" he said, blinking. 

The heroes around him exchanged glances, expressions ranging from confusion to guilt, to in Clark's case, rage. Billy caught a glimpse of the Kryptonian's anger and drew in a sharp breath, avoiding his gaze and taking a defensive step back towards Batman. 

The man seemed to get the message, putting a protective armored hand on the boy's shoulder. "Well, it looks like our work here is done. Adam is gone, so we should get back to the Watchtower to discuss anything further." Bruce's voice left no room for argument, the surrounding adults making varying sounds of agreement. "Come on, Billy. You can ride with me if you like." he said with a ghost of a smile.

Billy nodded, glancing up at the people he idolized as they sent him looks of uncertainty or betrayal or even pity. He sighed, tears threatening to well in his eyes. He had hoped this wouldn't be the outcome of him telling them his identity, though the wisdom of Soloman told him that this was the most probable outcome. He sighed, following Batman to a jet. 

He took a seat in what he assumed was the boy wonder's seat and buckled up. Sure, he could have transformed and met the team there, but that would be kinda awkward at the moment. Instead, Billy rested his arm on the armrest and held his head, looking out the window as they took off.

They rose into the atmosphere at a steady pace, Billy biting his lip as he got lost in thought. Batman attempted to make small talk, but after realizing Billy wasn't listening, left him to his own devices. This gave the boy time to think about what his next course of action should be, though that would be tough.

He knew that Batman accepted him, which was already a big weight off his shoulders, but after seeing the fury held in Superman's eyes, he wasn't sure what the rest of them would think. He knew he had kept something important from them, but it wasn't wrong if they never asked if he was a kid, right?

The boy was so deep within his own head that he didn't even notice when the jet ( which had at some point become suited for space travel ) landed. It wasn't until Batman was shaking his shoulder gently that he realized where they were. "Batson?" he asked, his cowl down, revealing bright blue eyes full of compassion.

Billy blinked, staring up at the man who he had come to think of as a mentor of his own. Batman had been the first to find out about his identity after a slip up involving a particularly harsh blizzard hitting Fawcett City and the Dark Knight catching him transforming. He had accepted the boy's reasoning for keeping it a secret, and even had helped him with his superhero-ing.

The raven-haired pair continued to stare until there was a banging at the door of the jet. They both looked up as Bruce helped the boy out of his seat. Billy took in a deep breath as Bats kneeled down in front of him. "Billy, listen to me." he said, licking his lips. He took a deep breath as well, cornflower blue eyes meeting each other. "Whatever happens next..." he said, glancing up at the door, "Just know that you're a hero. I know you are. You always will be." 

And with that, he pulled his cowl back up, punching in a code that would open the jet door. Billy blinked, a small smile gracing his face. His heart felt warm at the words, and he puffed out his chest in confidence.

If no one else believed in him, at least he had Batman on his side.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Billy and Batman were greeted when they opened the door to a very antsy Flash, who gave them both a nervous smile. "They uh- they're waiting in the meeting room," he said, giving the boy a sorry look. "I tried to speak up for ya kid. I mean- Wally's not much older than you, and he's just as qualified to be a hero." Barry told him, managing a sad smile before speeding off. 

Batman patted his shoulder before taking the lead, Billy trailing behind him as they walked into the massive base. The boy had never noticed before, (mainly because he had never come here as himself) but everything in the satellite seemed to tower over him, making him feel even smaller than he already was. The pair walked down the hall towards the meeting room, passing a ceiling to floor window on their way.

Billy paused, glancing out the window and becoming enraptured in the sight. He swallowed thickly, the reality of his situation coming to him. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked out into the ever-expanding reaches of space, for what could possibly be for the last time. If the league kicked him out, he sure wouldn't be allowed to come back here anymore.

The boy felt tears running down his cheeks at the thought, wiping them away quickly and leaving the stunning view. He had to run to catch up to the Dark Knight, but eventually managed to gain back the ground he had lost.

The pair stood before a massive door marked with a label that read "CONFERENCE ROOM" in bright golden letters. Batman looked down and nodded at him before opening the door.  

The chatter of voices coming from the room previously ceased, the room going silent as Billy took the lead. He walked to the center of the room, in the middle of the U-shaped table the League gathered around. Batman took his own seat near the head of the table, beside Clark and Diana. 

Billy swallowed thickly and drew in a shaky breath, looking around at those he worked with and idolized. These heroes were people he had come to know as friends, as those he could go to to find family when the world felt particularly dark.

 He had no clue what the future would hold for him now, or how the league would treat him. Sure, the boy was an optimist to the furthest extent, but even he knew when the odds were against him.

Billy took a deep breath, pushing back the tears that threatened to well in his eyes. He met each member eye to eye, standing his ground. "Ok." He started, licking his lips. "Let it rip." He muttered, a flash of hurt coming to his voice.

The members exchanged glances, some of them looking very unhappy to be there. It was actually Hal who spoke up first. 

"Look, I'm not one who's ever had a sidekick- I'm not into he whole idol thing. But aren't the Young Justice team, a group of sidekicks mind you, just a little older than 10?" He asked, looking around for confirmation. At some head nods, the Green Lantern continued. "Ok, well then what's the big deal? It's not like he's got the body of a ten year old when he's out in the field. He follows orders and has the Wisdom of Salmon or whoever." 

Billy couldn't help but grin at the man's mistake, a snicker forcing its way out. "I- uh- it's Solomon." He said timidly, making Hal smirk.

Green Lantern nodded once and drew in a breath. "Yea- that. Just cause the kid's ten now, doesn't mean he can't be a good hero."

Billy felt his chest tighten at the brunet's words, happiness swelling at the thought of a third person in his corner. He watches as some of the heroes talked amongst themselves, a few even nodding at Hal's words.

Diana stood up next, her hands on the table as she spoke. "Listen. I realize that Billy here may be a noble warrior whilst he is Captain Marvel, but I cannot in good conscience put a child into the field. We're a battle plan not to go accordingly, who is to say that he will not do something childish and go his own way?" She said, gesturing to the boy as she spoke. "We know not how long he has possessed these powers, and the minds of children are easily swayed."

Billy hated the fact that she spoke as if he weren't standing right there, hearing every word. It proved how much things would change between him and the League were he allowed to stay on. He hoped her mind could be persuaded.

Once Diana was seated and the murmurs died down, J'onn stood. He clasped his hands behind his back, looking around at the members. "While I may not have the best grasp on the appropriate age of humans, I do believe that the reason Mr. Batson was conducted into the league was because of his heroic deeds, and the fact that he was qualified as a true hero. I assumed his age was not a factor." He Martian said, furrowing his brow. 

He looked to the boy in question, tilting his head. "You remind me much of my niece. You are both strong willed- determined to succeed in what you enjoy." J'onn looked back to the adults and shook his head. "I do not understand why you base one's ability on age, but it confuses me greatly." He said, taking his seat.

At this, Clark took the chance to speak, making Billy's heart beat quicker in his chest. He swallowed as the Kryptonian set his jaw, then opened it to speak. "Am I the only one who is livid with the fact that we've been LIED TO?!" He asked, looking around the table angrily. Billy felt his throats get tight, his breath hitching.

He had always looked up to the man that was now raving about him, and the thought of his idol hating him for what he'd done ate away at his confidence. 

Superman looked to Batman, anger in his eyes. "You knew, I assume, and kept it from us? He could have been KILLED, and how would that have weighed on your conscience? Sending a child into battle is DANGEROUS, and the fact that he's gotten away with it already makes me re-think more than just him for membership." Clark let out a breath through his nose, looking to Billy.

The boy flinched, taking a small step backwards. "And you." He said, narrowing his eyes. "What were you thinking?! Withholding this information from us not only puts yourself in danger, but us as well! If the public knew that we sent a child on missions, the Justice League could be put out of commission!" As the kryptonian ranted on, Billy felt years come to his eyes. 

The boy's gaze flicked to Batman, who tenses at the sight. His guilt ate away at him, fear catching up to him and making him tremble.

At this, Bruce stood, slamming his hands down onto the table. "CLARK, THAT'S ENOUGH." He growled, the eyes of his cowl narrowing at the alien. Superman paused, mouth parted for his next words. "You're scaring him." Batman said, gaze flicking to the teary-eyed, trembling ten-year-old.

The anger in Clark's eyes seemed to vanish at the sight, being replaced with shock, then sadness. "I-" the man started, Billy holding up a hand to stop him. He drew in a shaky breath and wiped the tears on his tattered sleeves, blinking up at the man. "It's fine. It- it needed to be said..." he said, voice barely above a whisper. "I can take it. I've taken worse." He said, looking up to fully face the superhero.

Superman seemed to be taken back by this, steam that had been fueling his argument vanishing. He took his seat, staring at the table and silently muttering to himself.

Billy looked back at the heroes, and swallowed. "I- I guess it's my turn then." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look- I...I don't expect you to understand. I withheld something vital from you guys, I know this. I guess...I guess I just felt that if you knew, you'd see the Captain as nothing  but a joke. I wouldn't be taken seriously, and I- I just..." he sighed, looking to the floor. 

"I was done with being ignored because of my age. I mean, if an ancient being saw something that was worth giving power to, I guess I just didn't want to go back to being someone everybody underestimated and ignored." 

The truth was, Billy had been ignored for five years, ever since his mother and father died, leaving him alone and on the streets. People passed him without a second glance, even when he would try and live by his father's rule; do good and good will follow. He was tired of being ignored, and hadn't wanted itfrom these guys.

Billy sighed, unable to meet the eyes of those he looked up to. "I understand if you don't want me in the League..." he said, looking to Batman as he managed a small smile. "But that won't stop me from being a hero. This world needs as much help as it can get, and I intend on being one of those to help it. With, or without, your support." And with that, the boy turned and walked to the door.

"I'll wait outside until you come to a decision." He said, turning back and giving them a small smile and nod. 

Billy took a seat outside the room on the ground, sliding down the wall and onto the smooth tile floor. He pulled his legs up against his chest, wrapping his arms around them and burying his face into his knees. He sighed, letting his thoughts consume him as he waited for an answer.

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

The boy had begun to doze when he heard the door open, Bruce standing there to greet him. "Billy?" He asked, kneeling down and easing the kid back into wakeful-ness. "It's time." The man said, standing up and walking inside.

Bily attempted to gather what shambles of courage he had left, standing up and trying to straighten his worn-out shirt. He gave up after the third attempt however, and slowly walked inside. 

The League sat around the table, Batman having taken his seat. Billy walked to the center of the room once more and folding his hands in front of him, looking up at the superheroes. Diana, Clark, and Bruce all stood, looking down at him.

"Billy Batson." Clark started, tilting his head, "We have found that, after much analysis, that you have the tendency to be childish, immature, and at times, reckless. This, however, can only be attributed to your mental age." He said, looking to Diana.

She took a deep breath and too, tilted her head. "However-" her tone caught his attention, it being one of understanding. "You have proven in the past that you are a valuable and powerful member of this team. You may be wise in times of crisis, and do things that none of us could." Diana lifted her head as if to make sure she was making a wise decision.

It was Batman who spoke next, a small, (minuscule really) smile on his face. "That is why, William Joseph Batson, AKA Captain Marvel..." Billy felt his chest swell at the anticipation, swallowing thickly. "We, as the founding members of the Justice League, along with those chosen to join our ranks, have voted to continue your membership with this team."

Billy's eyes widened, his theist going dry as a smile crept onto his face. "R-really?" He asked, licking his lips as tears once again came to his eyes. "Y-you mean it?" The trio nodded once, sending the boy's spirit through the roof. He broke out into a full, crooked, toothy grin, a laugh coming to his mouth. 

"I can stay?!" He asked with a smile. "I can stay!!" The boy whooped and jumped into the air, the picture of happiness. When he noticed the adults watching him with amused grins, he faked a cough and stopped. "I uh- sorry," he said, his cheeks burning a bright pink as he blushed. 

"Why don't I take you home, Batson?" Batman asked, dismissing the group and walking around the table. "I mean, unless you'd like to get there yourself?" he asked as they walked out of the meeting room. Billy gave him a grin as they walked to the Zeta tubes, stopping before they entered. 

"It's alright Mr. Wayne, I can handle getting home on my own," he said, giving the man a nod. "But-" Billy paused, scratching at his neck. "I wanted to thank you....for...ya know, sticking up for me and stuff." 

Batman breathed a laugh, (a rarity if you'll believe that) and kneeled down next to the boy. "It was no trouble. I mean what I said you know," he told him, looking the boy in the eyes. "I do think you're a hero. And you don't need the League to prove that," he said, standing up. "Have a good night, Billy."

The raven-haired boy flashed him a toothy grin and walked into the Zeta Tube, the computer announcing his departure. 

 

~ ~ ~

 

Billy was transported to the heart of Fawcett City, into an old photo booth with an "OUT OF ORDER" sign attached to it. He climbed out of the booth and looked around, taking a deep breath before sneaking out of the alleyway. 

The boy rounded the corner and set on his way home, back to the place he'd been lucky enough to be staying at for the past couple of months- with Dudley H. Dudley, a man whom he'd lovingly dubbed 'Uncle Dudley'. He hurried down the sidewalk towards the apartment building, glancing back up at the sky as he made his way up the brick building's steps. 

With a grin, he let out the breath he'd been holding in his mind since the battle, and opened the door to the apartment complex. 

 

**~ ~ ~**

**THE END!**


End file.
